The 2015 Friendliest and Unfriendliest Cities in the World
CN traveller asked its audience for the third time to rate a city’s “friendliness” in the Readers’ Choice Awards survey. They published two lists : an American list and an international one. On the international one there are two cities from the Central Europe rated as the friendliest and on the list of the unfriendliest cities Moscow was mentioned again. ( It was on the list in 2013, too).
Kraków, Poland is number four on the list of the friendliest cities and this is what the CN traveller quotes:
”What a surprise and a treasure Kraków is!” “Still known more to Europeans than Americans, it’s a gem” with some of the “friendliest locals you’ll ever meet.” They certainly have a good sense of humor: A “don’t-miss adventure is to take a light-hearted Communism Tour with Crazy Guides” in a vintage Trabant car through the centrally planned Socialist district of Nowa Huta. Another spirited trip is to “climb the stairs to the top of Wawel Castle’s tower and touch the Sigismund Bell for good luck”—your right hand for love, your left for wealth, but never both!”
Number 8 is occupied by Budapest, Hungary.
CN traveller quotes: “beautiful city with a history that makes you smile and cry,” and “friendly people anxious to show everyone everything” with “a wonderful sense of humor, in spite of their difficult history.” “We loved mixing with the locals in the many hot springs baths,” and more than one reader mentioned “music wherever we went… not just concerts, but in the streets, on the radio, and in cafés.” “Stay on the Pest side, explore the Buda side” and “if you have kids, go to the entertaining Szabó Marzipan Museum.” Up from no. 10 Friendliest in 2014.
As far as Moscow is concerned, this is what the readers found about this city:
“Dour, unfriendly people,” “deplorable traffic,” and “no philosophy of pleasing the visitor” didn’t help Moscow. Plus the city “is HUGE and in Cyrillic” with “few signs or menus in English” (“store clerks weren’t helpful, probably because of the language barrier”). The “Red Square and the Kremlin are incredible,” as are the “elegant subway stations,” but for the most part it’s a city visited best for “an interesting historical education.” No. 3 Unfriendliest in 2014.
Source, photo and more information:
http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-08-14/the-2015-friendliest-and-unfriendliest-cities-in-the-world/20
